Mutation
by LetTheWookieWin
Summary: AU. "Kitty nodded again and started to follow Jean towards the mansion. Her thoughts wandered, however, to a young rugged bandit with sparkling eyes." Set in 1857. Lancitty. Full summary inside.
1. Chapter 1

**AN-** Hey! This is an idea my friend, Ruth, and I came up with at school. We decided to write it together and have spent quite a while planning it. That said, it's not going to be perfect so if anyone has any ideas or suggestions to help us make it better, it would be great if you could review and tell us. Also it's set in 1857, so if we get anything wrong please let us know! Anyway thanks for reading and we hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer-** I don't own X-Men Evolution. I'm more of a closet fan. Unlike my friend, Ruth, who would probably bring a banner to school that, says; X-MEN RULE, if we let her. She scares me sometimes.

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Summery- AU. When Kitty Pryde was affected by the mutation, her parents left to find a cure. Now left in the care of an old family friend, Professor Xavier, she finds that these powers may not be a curse after all. With the help of her two cousins and two best friends, she forms a small vigilante group and sets out to break all the rules. One bandit catches her eye, but under the stern gaze of her older sister, she finds herself fighting to prove that status doesn't matter and true love does exist. Lancitty. (Much to Ruth's disgust. What can I say? I love it!)

Characters

Kitty- The youngest daughter of a wealthy family. Often smothered by her older sister. The leader of the vigilante group.

Tabitha- Crazy cousin / Crazy vigilante / Frickin' nut-job in general.

Rahne- Kitty's other cousin. Had to come live with them when she was affected by the mutation. Youngest member of the vigilante group.

Rogue- One of Kitty's best friends. Kurt's older sister. Member of the vigilante group.

Kurt- Kitty's other best friend. Skilled acrobat. Isn't actually part of the group but knows about it and helps when he can.

Remy- Rogue's suitor. Good friends with Kitty and taught her to fight with a staff.

Jean- Kitty's older sister. Extremely over-protective and worries about her younger sister and cousins a lot.

Scott- Jean's suitor. Acts like a boring over-protective big brother.

Professor Xavier- Old family friend and Kitty and Rahne's tutor. Called "Uncle X" by Kitty and "Baldy" by Tabitha.

Logan- Grumpy gardener.

Lance- Leader of the "Bandithood." Kitty's secret love interest.

The BLOB, Toad and Quicksilver- Members of the Bandithood.

Jubilee and Amara- Jean's friends.

Jamie- Errands boy. Also knows about the vigilantes. Good friends with Rahne. Often causes distractions to allow the girls to sneak out.

Bobby- A young man trying to court Kitty.

Sam- Rahne's love interest.

Ororo- A family friend

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**AN-** Phew! Now, on with the story!

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Fifteen year old Kitty Pryde shifted into a more comfortable position in the tree she had perched in. Sighing, she reached into her bag, pulled out a tattered leather book and began to write.

_June 1857_

_Dear Diary,_

_Mother and Father sent another letter today. They claimed that they still hadn't found a cure for the mutation that has affected myself and my older sister, Jean. I do wonder though, if they do find a cure will I take it? I do not understand how having these powers can be so terrible. Secretly, I find them exciting and unbelievably exhilarating!_

_Jean would have a heart attack if she heard me say that. She is convinced that ever since our cousin, Tabitha, came to live with us, I have been acting extremely unlady like. I, personally, disagree. I have always acted this way, just not in front of her. Sometimes I think that she tries too hard to be the perfect big sister. She already does an amazing job. Tabitha says that Jean worries about me. Apparently, she is afraid I will get hurt. Ever since Mother and Father left, Jean has become fiercely over-protective and I am lucky if she actually lets me leave the mansion by myself. Usually I can convince Tabby or my two best friends, Kurt and Marie, to accompany me._

_Kurt and Marie are siblings and were affected by the mutation as well._

_Kurt is the younger of the two and a very gentle soul. You would never see him hurt another being and is always ready to take part in my hair-brained schemes. Most of the town people think that we would make a good couple. I, however, disagree. Kurt is one of my best friends and I will admit that once upon a time, I may have had feelings for him. Now, that attraction has disappeared rapidly._

_Last week we overheard Amara Aquilla saying that we were engaged. It took over five hours for us to control our laughter!_

_Kurt is an extremely skilled acrobat and has taught me some of his tricks. I said he should leave home and join the circus but he just laughed and said he would if I could come up with a name for his act. I suggested "The Amazing Nightcrawler!" but he didn't understand it. I pointed out that it was a stage name and you weren't supposed to understand it anyway. Sometimes I wonder if I am the only one who thinks about these things._

_Marie is the older sibling. We are not allowed to call her Marie though, she insists that we call her Rogue. Unlike Kurt, she actually thinks about things and is often the voice of reason in our trio._

_Her and Jean don't exactly see eye to eye, but Rogue says she can empathise. Apparently it is normal for the older sibling to worry needlessly about their younger ones. Rogue is always the one to remind me what time I am needed home. She seems to attract suitors but she always turns them down or pushes them away. The last one, Cody, went home with his tail between his legs. There is one, however, who is incredibly persistent. A young man from New Orleans named Remy LeBeau._

_He spends a large amount of time at the mansion looking for Rogue and he and I have become good friends. I once witnessed him practicing a form of martial arts with a long wooden staff. When he saw my fascinated expression, he offered to teach me and I am now quite skilled fighting with it. I think Rogue is warming up to him as well._

_Remy is quite unlike my sister's suitor, Scott Summers. Scott is a perfectly fine gentleman, but he is like a male version of Jean. He too, is over-protective of me and often worries needlessly. And Jean thought they had nothing in common!_

_When Mother and Father left on their quest to find a cure, they left me in the capable hands of their old family friend, Professor Charles Xavier. He stepped in as my legal guardian and my tutor. He is unbelievably clever and has an answer for everything. Tabby and I both have different names for him. Tabby calls him "baldy" while I call him "Uncle X." I suppose my name is politer because I have known him longer. Uncle X is the only person I know (apart from Tabby,) who considers our mutations a gift. It is very refreshing to hear that._

_Oh! I almost forgot! In Mother and Father's letter, they mentioned that Cousin Rahne has been affected by the mutation as well. The poor girl is only a year younger than me. I wonder what her power is? Anyway, her parents are sending her to live with us! I think it will be good to have someone who is younger than me around the mansion. Maybe Jean will stop being so over-protective. I feel awfully sorry for her though, she has to leave her home in Scotland and come to a new unfamiliar place. We will all try to help her through this and soon she will be extremely happy here. I just know it!_

_One thing I don't know, however, is when Mother and Father will be coming back. I have got a feeling that they know there is no cure. They just can't stand the idea of their children being freaks. This used to really bother me but now, I have realised that no matter what happens I will always have Jean, Kurt, Rogue, Tabby, Remy, Scott and Uncle X. This is my new family and I can't wait for Rahne to arrive._

_Kitty_

Slamming her diary shut, Kitty leant back against the trunk of the tree. The huge mansion that she lived in could be seen out of the corner of her eye. She had managed to sneak away for a few precious moments alone. She knew, however, that it could not last.

"Kitty!"

Kitty cringed as the voice of her older sister echoed in the branches of the tree. She sounded more than slightly annoyed. Kitty cautiously peered through the leaves and caught a glimpse of the flaming red hair that belonged to Jean. Gulping, Kitty decided it might be safer to pretend she wasn't there. Maybe Jean would go and look somewhere else?

"Katherine Pryde! I know you are up that tree! I _am_ a telepath remember!"

Kitty groaned. How could she forget that? Jean's mutation allowed her to read other peoples' thoughts. Sometimes it was incredibly annoying to have your over-protective older sister know all your plans.

"Kitty! If you are not down here in the next minute, then I will lock you in your room for the rest of your life!"

Kitty rolled her eyes at Jean's hollow threat and started to shimmy down the tree. She jumped the final branches and landed on the soft, springy, bright green grass of the field that surrounded the mansion. Under Jean's stern glare, she straightened up and smoothed the front of her dress. Widening her eyes, she put on her best innocent pout.

"Jean, I am sorry. Were you looking for me?"

Kitty crossed her fingers behind her back and hoped that her innocent, cute act would thaw Jean's anger slightly. Although Jean saw straight through her baby sister's pout, she couldn't help smiling at the sight. Kitty's innocence often made her forget about all the things that were bothering her. But if Kitty thought that she wasn't in trouble for sneaking away, she was in for a huge shock.

"Kitty, where were you?" Asked Jean. "You should know better than to leave the mansion by yourself."

Kitty bit her lip. It hadn't exactly been easy for her to sneak away. Mr Logan, the bad-tempered gardener, had been lurking about. Tabitha had been strutting through the corridors and Scott had been patrolling the grounds. She had just about wept with joy when she had found that Jean was in the town for the day. Having the Mind-Reader out of the house had made her bid for freedom so much easier. Of course, being a phaser had helped as well. Her ability to walk through walls had made many escape attempts possible.

"Kitty, you disappearing on your own is dangerous. What if you had fallen out that tree and hurt yourself?" Said Jean, as she began one of her famous lectures. "Mother and Father left you in my care and if anything happened to you, I would never forgive mysel..."

Jean suddenly cut off as she noticed her sister had stopped listening halfway through. Instead, Kitty had turned to face the dusty road that ran along the far side of the field. It was usually deserted but from time to time an odd traveler would ride past. Right now, however, deserted was _not_ the word to describe it.

An old man was crouched down in the middle of a group of mounted riders. Kitty knew from her lessons with Uncle X, that the men on horses were bandits. She also knew that she had to do something to help. The old man was on his knees being held by sword-point, while the bandits raided his belongings. When he yelled out for help, one of them back-handed him across the face. Kitty felt Jean's grip on her arm tighten as she tried to pull her little sister away from the confrontation. The old man screamed for help again and Kitty quickly made up her mind.

She phased out of Jean's grip and started to run. She could hear Jean screaming at her to get back but she paid no attention. Picking up a long stick from the ground she desperately ran through all of the moves that Remy had taught her. She leapt over the fence that marked the end of their estate and took a defensive stance in front of the old man.

The bandits looked quite amused at the sight of a young girl trying to stop them. Kitty sized them up. There were four of them and they were all wearing masks so she couldn't make out any distinguishing facial features. Two of them instantly stood out. One was amazingly big, his enormous frame made the others look tiny. It was hard to tell whether he had a neck or not.

"He looks like a... a... a Blob!" Thought Kitty, for lack of better words.

The other was crouched in a squat, making him look like a frog. Kitty wrinkled up her nose as the pungent scent from the 'frog' hit the roof of her mouth.

"Forget frog." She thought to herself. "Toad suits him better!"

The other two men she had trouble placing. She suddenly remembered something Remy had told her during one of their lessons.

"You can figure out a lot about someone from their stance."

The third man was very slim and his white hair could be seen over the top of his mask. He stood there with arrogance radiating with every move he made. Kitty took a dislike to him immediately.

The last man caught Kitty's attention. His well chiseled body and rugged looks made her gasp inwardly. His eyes held a sparkle that she had never seen before in anyone else and he stood with such confidence, she was sure he was the leader of the little group. Kitty silently remprimanded herself for thinking such unlady like thoughts. It would save Jean the trouble of doing it.

"Now, this probably isn't the best idea." Said the Blob. "See, we don't want to hurt a young lady such as yourself."

Arrogance nodded.

"I agree. It's probably best if you went home and pretended you didn't see anything."

Kitty shook her head and tightened her grip on her makeshift start.

"Alright then." Said the Toad. "We'll just have to make you move."

Three of the men launched into an attack. Kitty quickly used her staff to block a punch from Toad and used her acrobat skills she had learnt from Kurt to dodge a hit from Arrogance.

"He really needs a new name." Thought Kitty to herself as she back-flipped to avoid another hit. "God, he is fast."

She swung the staff round and it hit Toad in the face. He fell to the ground unconscious and his teammates stared at Kitty in surprise. Speedy, the newly named Arrogance, turned to the leader and gaped in shock. The three bandits still standing, exchanged a glance and rapidly clambered onto their horses. The Blob grabbed hold of Toad's motionless body and rode off, Speedy following close behind. The leader hesitated and locked eyes with Kitty. She felt a shiver go down her spine and she swore she saw him smile.

"The name's Lance Alvers." He informed her, before urging his horse to follow his fellow bandits. "I never caught yours."

"Kitty!" She yelled after him. "My name is Kitty Pryde!"

"Half-pint!"

The gruff voice of Mr Logan shook Kitty out of her daze. She spun round to see him, Jean, Scott and Tabitha running towards her. Jean put on a spurt of speed and rushed up to her. She hugged Kitty tightly.

"Don't ever do that again. Do you have any idea how foolish that was? You could have been hurt!"

Remy watched as Kitty tried to break out of Jean's hold.

"Dat was some pretty fancy moves there, petite. But your soeur is right. Those men could have hurt you."

Kitty finally broke free and glanced around.

"Where did the old man go?" She asked. "He was right here a minute ago."

"He ran off as soon as you started fighting." Said Tabitha. "Which I have to say was pretty fantastic even if not very lady like."

Scott glared at Tabitha.

"No, it was not fantastic. Kitty could have been killed by those men. What she did was very foolish and she will not do it again. Agreed Kitty?"

Kitty just nodded, suddenly feeling incredibly weary. Jean noticed this, however, and decided that they'd had enough excitement for one day.

"Come Kitty, we should go home and get all this dust and muck off you. Rahne should be arriving tomorrow."

Kitty nodded again and started to follow Jean towards the mansion. Her thoughts wandered, however, to a young rugged bandit with sparkling eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN- **Hey! Here's the next chapter! Thanks to everyone who's reading and thanks to the people who reviewed the last chapter!

**goodgirl918-** Thanks for the review! I love Lancitty too! I think it's waaaaaaaaaay better than some of the other pairings! I really hate it when some people portray Lance as a really bad guy. I think he's just misunderstood.

**TealCrystalCAT**- Glad you like it! Ruth and I definitely think that Boom Boom and Quicksilver would make a great couple, so we'll try and fit them in! Thanks for reading!

**Disclaimer-** Like I said before, I don't own X-Men Evolution. And I'm pretty sure Ruth actually has an X-MEN RULE banner. What can I say? She's a weird kid.

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A gentle breeze caressed Rahne Sinclair's pale face, blowing her short red hair out of the tight style it was bound in. The fourteen year old Scottish girl glanced around, for what could quite possibly be the last time, at the rolling green hills that she had grown to love.

She couldn't believe that she was leaving the familiar landscape of her birthplace. Just because she had been affected by the mutation! It was incredibly unfair! How dare her Aunt and Uncle show up and suggest she would be happier with people like her? She was perfectly fine here!

As much as Rahne despised the situation, she couldn't argue with the logic behind it. It would help to be around people with gifts like her and she hadn't seen her cousins in so long. It would be nice to be accepted instead of being labeled as a freak. She also knew that it wasn't fair to put her parents in that position. The townsfolk were awful gossips and Rahne knew that her parents would receive a lot of bother, if the news about her mutation got out.

Rahne sighed and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She should probably be getting home. The boat was leaving soon and if she wasn't on it, it would leave without her. She stood up and smoothed down the front of her dress. She was suddenly hit by an idea. The young Scottish girl closed her eyes and tried to activate her power.

An extremely unusual sensation overcame her and she felt a thrill of excitement. Opening her eyes she found herself staring at her feet, or rather her paws. Where Rahne had once been standing, a beautiful russet she-wolf stood in her place.

"It worked!" She barked joyfully. "I actually managed to change by will!"

Rahne suddenly noticed that everything seemed different. Sitting back on her haunches, she cocked her head and breathed in deeply. A melody of different scents wafted through her nose and she gasped in amazement. Her ears twitched as she listened intently to the choir of sounds that echoed through the hills.

She had never felt so free. She got to her paws and started to run. The sheer speed astounded her as she practically flew towards her family's estate. With the wind whistling through her glimmering fur, Rahne couldn't help but howl with joy. Suddenly being a freak didn't seem so bad.

The Scottish girl arrived at the gate that marked the entrance to the Sinclair estate. Concentrating hard, she managed to shift back into her human form and glanced down at her hands in amazement. She knew that she should be ashamed of the curse that had been placed upon her, but secretly she had never felt happier in her whole life than in those few minutes as a wolf.

As Rahne approached the house, she saw that her bags were already being loaded up into a carriage. The wolf girl sighed. This was it. She was being banished from her home and just because she had a tiny problem with her genetics. Life was cruel sometimes.

Her mother and father noticed her approaching and quickly ran towards her. Embracing her in a tight hug, they mumbled their goodbyes. Before the she-wolf could even blink, she found herself sitting in the seat of the carriage, waving at her parents.

The carriage pulled out of the estate as the driver urged his horses on. Rahne took one last glance at her home and felt her heart sink.

"Goodbye..." She murmured.

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The glorious red and golden colour of the sun setting, always put Samuel Gunthrie in a good mood. The young southern gentleman leant against the side of the boat and gazed at the sky.

He was finding it hard to believe that he was finally going home. Coming to a new country to start a business was never easy and the locals weren't particularly fond of foreigners. His father had needed him to go, however, so Sam really had no choice. Breeding and selling horses had made the Gunthrie family very wealthy and his father had wanted to broaden their horizons.

It would be a relief to see his family again. Although he had instantly fallen in love with the beautiful scenery of Scotland, he had missed home very much and was anticipating the moment the boat would dock.

He sighed contently. The salty sea breeze blew in his face and the glowing red sunset filled the sky. It was times like this when he really appreciated being alive.

The sudden sound of footsteps caught his attention and he turned his head to investigate. A young girl was standing at the side of the boat, gazing out into the ocean.

Sam frowned curiously. No self respecting father would let his daughter roam about a ship by herself. Everyone knew that some crew members couldn't be trusted. They were always on the prowl for young women, especially ones as beautiful as this one. So why was this pretty girl by herself? Sam, being the fine gentleman that he was, decided to talk to her and find out.

"S'cuse me, miss." He said, in his southern drawl. "Don't mind me, but I was wondering if it was a wise idea for a pretty girl like yourself, to be roaming around on your own."

The red head looked up at him and smiled sadly.

"Please don't worry, sir." The girl spoke with a soft Scottish accent. "It may be hard to believe, but I can protect myself."

Sam smiled and held out his hand.

"Samuel Gunthrie. Sam for short. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

The girl grinned shyly and shook his outstretched palm.

"Rahne Sinclair. Equally pleased."

The young southern man leant on the railing next to her.

"So, Mr Gunthrie. Where is this boat taking you?" Rahne asked.

Sam grinned at the thought of his home waiting for him.

"Well, Miss Rahne. I'm finally going home to see my family. What about you?"

"I'm being banished from mine." Rahne muttered. At Sam's bewildered expression, she hastened to explain. "My aunt and uncle came to see my parents last week. They suggested that I should go and live with my cousins for a while."

"You do not seem very happy about this." Stated Sam.

Rahne shrugged.

"The situation is not as simple as it seems. It hurts to know that my parents are so eager to be rid of me. Should a parent not love a child no matter what problems?"

"Problems?" Asked Sam.

Rahne cringed. She had let too many details slip. However, looking into the eyes of the charming southern gentleman, Rahne was deeply tempted to tell him about the mutation. He seemed like an honest soul and she had felt a special connection with him. Debating with herself, Rahne eventually decided to tell him a half truth.

"I have been affected by a rare disease that mutates the cells." She answered. "My parents were afraid I would be considered a freak."

Sam couldn't quite believe his ears. This young Scottish girl, like himself, could be one of the people affected by the mutation!

"Miss Rahne, forgive me for asking, but does this disease grant you unusual abilities?"

Rahne stiffened and glanced warily at her companion. Noticing her discomfort, Sam quickly tried to explain.

"Miss Rahne, please relax. I do not mean you any harm. I too have been affected by this mutation and I was excited to meet another."

Rahne gasped in amazement.

"You too have these powers?" She asked.

Sam nodded.

"Yes. That is why my father sent me to Scotland in the first place. Well, that and to sell horses."

Rahne giggled slightly at Sam's heartwarming smile.

"Samuel-"

"Sam" He interrupted. "I would rather you called me Sam. Samuel is too long and proper."

Rahne nodded, smiling shyly.

"Alright then. Sam you do not know how glad I am to have met another like myself. It appears that you were in the same situation I am. I must ask, does it help? You know... Being away from your family... Does it help to control the curse?"

"I do not think that such drastic measures will help." Answered Sam. "Not that I know. I am still having trouble with my gift. Personally, I feel it is like anything in life. If you have the will to master it, it will become easier. But a piece of advice Miss Rahne, do not spend your life considering it a curse. We have been graced with a gift and we should embrace it. We have the ability to do great things. I have only realised this recently."

Rahne nodded thoughtfully.

"I have never thought of it like that before. You sound as if you have had plenty of time to think about this."

Sam grinned at the young Scottish girl.

"Miss Rahne I am not the deepest person in the world but the best advice I can offer you, is to find people who can accept and understand your gift. I have heard of a professor who can teach others to control their powers. I am thinking about paying him a visit once I have visited my family. Maybe you should do the same."

Rahne's face lit up at the prospect of controlling her powers. She knew that her cousins would accept her and maybe they could help her better understand it. She glanced up at the sky. The sky had turned a deep velvet black and the stars shone magnificently.

"Forgive me, Sam. I did not realise how late it was getting. Perhaps I should retire for the night."

Sam shook his head.

"There is nothing to forgive Miss Rahne. I should be the one apologising. I did keep you here with my boring talk."

Rahne giggled slightly.

"Sam, your boring talk has given me a new way to look at my situation. If anything I should be thanking you."

"Miss Rahne, it was my utmost pleasure. Will I see you again?"

"Probably not." Answered Rahne sadly. "The boat docks fairly early tomorrow. I doubt we will have time to see each other before then."

"Well then Miss Rahne, I wish you the best of luck and bid you goodnight and goodbye. As my last piece of advice, I urge you to be true to yourself. You are a remarkable young woman and I can only hope that our paths cross again."

Rahne smiled and walked towards the cabins.

"I hope so too Sam. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Answered the young southern gentleman. "Sweet dreams."


	3. Chapter 3

**AN-** Here's the next part! I couldn't help putting in some more Rahne and Sam. Sorry! Anyway thanks for reading and thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Enjoy this one!

**i-am-a-newbie09**- Thanks for your review! Kitty and Lance are my favourite couple too! I know there's not much Lancitty in here now but I'm trying to build up to it. As for your question, I think that most people think that the mutation is a rumour. So they have heard about it but don't believe it. Sorry I didn't make that very clear. Hope this helped!

**TealCrystalCAT-** I totally agree! I thought it was so stupid that in the actual program, Rahne only spoke in one episode and all Sam did was crash into stuff! There are some really good stories about them though. Rahne was one of my favourite characters. But that might be because I'm Scottish too. Anyway, thanks for reviewing and I hope you're enjoying it so far!

**Disclaimer- **I don't own X-Men Evolution but I'm pretty sure that Ruth's planning to steal it. You never can tell with her.

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"Can you remind me why Rogue and I are here?" Grumbled Kurt in his thick German accent. "I am sure your cousin does not need all of us to greet her."

Kitty, Rogue and Tabitha all shot him a glare.

"Kurt, Rahne is only fourteen. I am sure that the prospect of being in a completely different country is frightening for her." Answered Kitty. "It is a good idea for us to all be here to support her."

"That and the fact that we probably could not survive a large amount of time alone with Jeannie and Scott." Added Tabby.

The four friends glanced around the busy harbour to where Jean and Scott were standing.

"Tabby!" Exclaimed Kitty. "That is.... That is probably true. Jean _has_ been a bit edgy since the incident with the bandits yesterday."

Tabby snorted.

"That is most likely because you disappear into own thoughts whenever it is mentioned."

Rogue nodded.

"Tabby is right. You have been very distant lately."

"I have to disagree." Said Kitty. "Perhaps you have been around Jean for too long and some of her worries have rubbed off on you. I am perfectly fine."

Rogue just shook her head and was about to say something when Kurt interrupted her.

"Is that Rahne's boat there?" He asked pointing to a ship that was coming into the harbour.

Kitty followed his finger and smiled.

"Yes I think it is. Look I can see Rahne!"

Kitty waved at a small figure standing against the railing of the boat. The figure waved back eagerly.

"She looks happy to see us." Commented Jean coming up behind Kitty. "I would have thought that she would be slightly more upset."

Tabby gave her a strange look.

"Are we really that terrible company?" She asked jokingly.

Jean laughed.

"That is not what I meant. Rahne has just discovered she has special abilities and has had to leave her home and family. I simply thought she would be quite distraught."

"She appears to be fine." Noted Scott as he watched the passengers file off the boat.

"Mmm.... She does." Agreed Kitty. "It is strange. In Mother and Father's letter, they mentioned that Rahne was very upset about all of this. I wonder what changed."

This question puzzled Jean as well. Her parents' letter had clearly stated that Rahne had been extremely depressed at the thought of leaving home. The young girl who was walking towards them, however, seemed perfectly happy. Jean promised herself that she would solve this particular mystery as soon as possible. Right now, she had a little cousin to greet.

"Jean! Kitty! Tabby!"

The three of them ran up to the Scottish girl and embraced her in a three way hug.

"Rahne!" Exclaimed Jean. "Look how much you have grown! The last time we saw you, you were only learning to talk!"

"It is so good to see you again!" Said Kitty. "We have so much to catch up on!"

"Hey! Look at our baby cousin! All grown up with powers!" Said Tabby.

Rahne giggled slightly.

"I cannot believe how long it has been!" She exclaimed. "I have missed you so much!"

The wolf girl glanced at the strangers behind her cousins. Jean, following her gaze, quickly introduced them.

"Rahne, this is Kurt and Rogue Wagner." She said gesturing to Kitty's friends.

"It is nice to meet you." Said Rahne smiling shyly.

"Nice to meet you too sugah." Rogue answered.

"Yes, it is always a pleasure to meet one of Kitty's beautiful relatives." Added Kurt grinning a lopsided smile and receiving a slap on the arm from Rogue.

"And this." Said Jean, shaking her head slightly at the Wagner siblings' exchange. "Is my suitor, Scott Summers."

Rahne glanced curiously at the man who had captured her eldest cousin's heart.

"I am glad to finally meet you Rahne." Said Scott. "Jean, Kitty and Tabby have spoken to great lengths about you. It is nice to be able to finally put a face to the name."

Rahne smiled, still unsure of what to make of the young man. He seemed like a good soul but if he hurt her cousin, she was going to transform into a wolf and chase him up a tree. She promised herself that.

"It is a pleasure Mr Summers." She said smiling.

The group dissolved into an awkward silence. Scott was the first one to break it.

"Rahne, why don't Kurt and I go and collect your luggage and leave you girls to catch up." He offered.

Jean shot him a grateful glance.

"I am sure Rahne would greatly appreciate that." She said.

Rahne nodded.

"Thank you Mr Summers." She said politely.

Scott and Kurt started to stride towards the boat.

"Come on." Said Jean. "We can wait in the carriage until they come back."

The four young women approached the carriage that was waiting for them. The driver hopped out of the front and rushed to open the door for them. Jean got in first, followed by Rogue, Tabitha and Kitty. Rahne was about to get in when a sudden shout caught her attention.

"Miss Rahne!"

Rahne spun around to see Sam hurrying towards her.

"Miss Rahne! I am so glad I found you before you left." He said. "I realised that I never got to say goodbye properly."

Rahne blushed.

"Sam, you did not have to spend time looking for me. I am sure that you must have other important tasks to see to."

Sam grinned.

"Miss Rahne, my important tasks pale in comparison to such a beautiful, pure young woman such as yourself. Besides, I wanted to give you something to remember me by."

Jean, Tabby, Rogue and Kitty watched the young couple curiously.

"My, my." Whispered Tabby jokingly. "Little Miss Rahne seems to attract all the men."

Kitty giggled, Rogue rolled her eyes and Jean shot a despairing look at Tabby.

Rahne was barely aware of her cousins behind her as she gazed into the young southern man's eyes.

"You did not need to get me anything Sam." She whispered shyly. "I doubt I could forget you that easily."

"None the less, I want you to have it." He said smiling.

Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a necklace and held it out to her. Rahne gasped in amazement. Hanging from the silver chain, was a small wooden carving of a wolf. The detail was incredible, Rahne felt as if she was actually looking into the eyes of a living, breathing animal. It had been carved in a running position and Rahne could see the same joy and freedom she had felt mirrored in the wolf's expression.

"Sam..." She murmured. "It is beautiful..."

"I saw it and felt the need to buy it." Answered Sam. "I was not sure why at the time but now I think I know. It reminds me so much of you. I am glad you like it."

He took it from her hands and motioned for her to turn around.

"May I?" He asked.

Rahne smiled and held up her hair while Sam fastened the necklace round her neck.

"I must be going now." Said Sam sadly. "I hope we will meet again."

"Thank you Sam. You have done more for me than you could ever realise. I will miss you." Said Rahne.

Sam smiled and started to walk away. Rahne watched him leave, wondering if she would ever see him again. She was eventually dragged out of her thoughts by Jean gently pulling her inside the carriage. Looking round, the wolf girl realised that everyone was staring at her.

"What?" She asked.

"What do you mean 'What'?" Asked Tabby incredulously. "Who was that?"

Rahne shrugged.

"Just someone I met on the boat." She answered, fingering the wolf hanging from her neck. "He helped me realise that I was not cursed and the mutation could be used to do great things."

Jean smiled.

"He sounds like a good person." She said.

Rahne nodded. She briefly considered telling them about Sam's mutation but quickly dismissed it. That was his secret to tell.

"So." Rahne began, eager to change the subject. "Has anything interesting happened to you recently?"

Tabby chuckled.

"I guess, if you consider Kitty fighting off a group of bandits and saving an old man's life interesting."

"Tabitha!" Exclaimed Jean. "I thought that we agreed that we were not going to discuss this again!"

"You fought bandits?!" Rahne asked Kitty incredulously, completely ignoring Jean's protests.

Kitty nodded smiling at her younger cousin's enthusiasm.

"Yes. It was one of the most frightening things I have ever done, but I will admit that I got an incredible rush from saving that man."

"Kitty!"

Kitty cringed under Jean's glare.

"I think that we should stop this discussion right this minute!" Exclaimed Jean. "Rahne, what Kitty did was extremely foolish and if I ever catch you trying to mimic her actions, I will make sure that you never leave the mansion. Kitty, you are already in enough trouble. Do not give your younger cousin any more foolish ideas. And as for you Tabitha, you need to learn when it is a good time to keep things to yourself."

Rogue shook her head and smiled at the conversation.

"This is one reason why I prefer having a brother." She said. "He can take care of himself."

Rahne bristled slightly.

"I can take care of myself." She insisted.

At that comment she received four sceptical glances.

"I can!"

"You can what?" Asked Kurt as he slid in next to Kitty.

"Take care of myself."

Kurt looked at her in disbelief.

"What is it with you people?" Complained Rahne. "Is it so hard to believe?"

"Yes." Said Tabby, slinging an arm around her. "But do not worry. You will always have your big cousins to protect you."

Rahne shot Tabby a venomous glare, causing the others to laugh.

"What did I miss?" Asked Scott getting in and sitting down next to Jean.

"Nothing." Said Jean shaking her head and smiling at Rahne's mock sulk. "We were just enjoying some family time."

Rahne's ears pricked up at the word family.

_"Family...."_ She thought smiling. _"Yes.... This is my family. Sam was right.... It helps to be accepted."_

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**AN-** I've just realised that the last two chapters have revolved completely around Rahne and have had no action at all! Sorry! I'll try and add some more fight scenes soon!


	4. Chapter 4

**AN- **Ok. First of all I want to apologise for the wait on this chapter. I had major writer's block and every time I opened this fic, I was left staring at the screen thinking; "Great. Now what?" It's thanks to **Ruthie G 8** that I even have a new chapter to post. She wrote the second (and better) half of this. Thanks Ruth! Please check out her profile. She has some really great fics up. Anyway, thanks for bearing with me and enjoy this chapter!

**buffycorvin- **glad you like it so far! Thanks for reviewing.

**catch22-** Thanks! Hopefully it'll get better later on.

**TealCrystalCAT-** Thank you so much for being so patient. This chapter has more Lancitty so I hope you enjoy!

**i-am-a-newbie09- **Thanks for reviewing. In response to your question, Rogue, Kurt and Remy have the mutation. I'm still trying to figure out a way for Scott to have it too but it's kind of difficult seeing as they didn't have sunglasses in that time. If anyone has any ideas on how I could do that please let me know! The other characters having the mutation is still undecided. I'll probably make it up as I go along.

**Disclaimer-** I don't own X-Men Evolution. If I did Emma Frost would be in it, purely so Kitty and Jean could kick her arse.

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"I cannot believe that we lost a fight to a girl." Groaned Toad. "It is ridiculous! We're supposed to be the most feared and dangerous bandits in the country and we got beaten by a little rich girl."

Pietro snorted.

"Toad, if I remember correctly, you were the one who was knocked unconscious." He said mockingly. "The rest of us were putting up a pretty good fight."

"Was that before or after we decided to retreat?" Asked the Blob curiously.

Lance, sitting on a table, chuckled at the immaturity of his teammates.

"Let's face it boys, you got thrashed." He said still grinning.

Pietro glared at him.

"Oh yeah? I didn't see you doing much to help, oh mighty leader. You just sat on your horse and watched the show."

Lance smiled and hopped down from the table to look Pietro in the eye.

"You were fighting a teenage girl. I didn't think you'd need much help."

Lance knew, however, that that was not the reason he had stood back. Something about the girl had caught his attention. The way her eyes glittered with passion, the way her face lit up when she smiled, the way she fought and how it appeared as if she was dancing. Lance grinned at the thought. There was something special about this girl and Lance knew that he had to see her again. He would look forward to it.

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Kitty smiled at the look of amazement on Rahne's face as the carriage pulled up in front of the mansion.

"It is huge!" She exclaimed.

"Well of course it is! Our dear aunt and uncle were pretty wealthy before they took off looking for the 'cure.'" Laughed Tabby.

Jean took one look at the excited face of her youngest cousin and grinned. It was good to see her so happy.

_"Mother and Father must have been mistaken when they thought that Rahne was upset."_ She thought to herself. _"The child seems to be practically glowing."_

She caught sight of Rahne fingering the wolf that hung around her neck. Jean frowned slightly. She wasn't sure if she could trust this Sam character yet. Somehow, Rahne seemed to be quite taken with him. She decided that she would interrogate Rahne later on, no matter what, she would find out more about this Sam.

"I cannot believe you actually live here!" Exclaimed Rahne.

"It is not just us." Kitty explained. "Our parents' friend, Professor Xavier, lives at the mansion as well. He is my and your legal guardian and tutor."

"Oh, that reminds me." Said Jean, her head shooting up. "Rahne, you will have lessons with the Professor on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. On Thursdays you will have to accompany me into town and on Mondays, you and Kitty have to spend the afternoon in the library."

Rahne suddenly looked nervous as she tried to process all this new information.

"Do not worry." Said Jean smiling. "You have Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays to yourselves. There are a few ground rules, however. You are not allowed to leave the estate by yourself, you must be in bed and asleep by 10 o'clock and you are not to leave the mansion without telling someone or when it is dark."

"That's a few?" Asked Rahne incredulously. "You could write a book with all those rules!"

Tabby laughed.

"Now, that is exactly what I said! Rahne, you are a smart girl!"

The carriage erupted into laughter at Jean's scowl. Scott put his arm around her and attempted to make her smile. The carriage pulled to a stop and the passengers filed out as the door opened.

"Well." Thought Rahne to herself. "Here goes nothing!"

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The moonlight was the only thing lighting the large bedroom. Kitty sat at her desk, furiously scribbling in her diary. She didn't dare make a noise in fear of waking Jean. The evening had been quite enjoyable. After dinner, they had all settled down in front of the fireplace and exchanged memories. Rahne and the Wagner siblings had hit it off superbly and Kitty could see that the trio was about to gain a new member. Kitty sighed and briefly wondered what time it was. Jean was planning to drag Rahne and herself into town the next morning so it probably would be a good idea to get some sleep. She closed the small leather book and made her way over to the warm inviting double bed. Snuggling into the covers, Kitty let out a small content sigh. Her eyelids drooped and she relaxed, letting the peaceful slumber wash over her.

CHIKT

Kitty shot up and glanced around nervously. The sudden noise had ripped her from her sleep induced dreams and shook her wide awake. She turned towards the window, hoping it had just been something from a dream that her sleepy brain had decided was real.

CHIKT

The chink of moonlight let through by a slit in the curtains illuminated the room. Softly Kitty rolled out of bed and used it to navigate her way across to the window, keeping to the side. Slowly she inched the hanging material to the side until she was able to make out the figure tossing another stone in his hand, preparing to aim it at the window. As he drew his arm back to throw, the moonlight shone on his face. It was Lance Alvers.

Kitty dropped the curtain hurriedly and leant against the wall. What was he doing here? Of course, she had told him her name and he had told her his, but when had exchanging names become an informal invitation to visit someone in the middle of the night?

CHIKT

"Why now?" Kitty asked herself quietly. She had been thinking about the chance encounter on and off all day, more because of the confusion it was causing her. She had met the confident rider while he was with a group of bandits, who he seemed to be the leader of. Bandits were not good news, everyone knew they were mean and wicked and cruel, but this man seemed different. While the others had tried (and miserably failed, she remembered proudly. Who came up with the idea that women were incapable of self-defence?) to ambush and steal from the old man, Lance had remained on his horse. But that made Kitty wonder, did he sit there and do nothing for the entertainment, or had he been disapproving. Was he under the influence of another?

"Well," she thought as she stepped away from the wall, "there is really only one way to find out."

Checking quickly for any sounds of movement outside, Kitty took a deep breath, drew the curtains open and opened her window.

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Lance was just about to turn around and head back to the barn that the other bandits had hijacked for the night when the heavy curtains parted to reveal a small figure in a night gown. The figure pushed the window open and the moonlight illuminated her features. Her expression was a mixture of curiosity and trepidation.

The wind had started to pick up strands of her hair and pull them around. Calmly she pushed the rebellious pieces behind her ears, before calling down softly "Lance Alvers? I must say, I'm flattered that you came to see me, but do you always call at this hour?" He could hear the smile in her voice rather than see it in her face. There was something else there that he couldn't quite place, but a joke was a good place to begin as any.

"Normally I keep to accepted visiting hours, but I thought that your friends might not be too happy to see me again. And I very much wanted to meet you properly. Kitty Pryde." He smiled up towards her, even though he knew it was too far away for her to be able to see."

"That is a coincidence; I've wanted to talk to you properly since I saw you earlier too. In particular, I've been wondering if you could answer a question for me." Her tone was conversational, but still Lance was wary.

"Then go ahead and ask it then. I have many talents, but reading minds isn't one of them. Although if you can teach me, go ahead," Lance answered.

For some reason Kitty giggled at that last sentence. "Mind reading isn't one of my gifts either. Anyway, I've been thinking, this morning you were with, well, not the nicest company I suppose." Kitty's voice became a little hesitant. "But you weren't helping them. I mean, you sat there. But you didn't help him either…" As she paused for breath she seemed to reassert her thoughts over her speech. "I just want to know why you were there. Especially since the others acted like you were in charge."

Lance tensed a little. He hadn't thought about how it must have looked to Kitty, the attack on the old man and his control over the group. The others were a lot more violent than him and had jumped at the man before he could do anything. He couldn't tell them to back off without losing any reputation they might have been able to build up in the area immediately, and unfortunately in the life they led, reputation meant everything.

He wasn't sure how to explain all this to Kitty though. That she had so far led a privileged life was obvious, and he wasn't sure she would understand how a bad start in life could shape it into something you would never have chosen yourself. But she deserved some kind of answer.

"Nothing in life is as simple as good or bad Kitty," he said up to her. "Honestly, I've done things I would rather forget about, but I can promise you, none of those regrets are because of bad choices. They were all necessary."

She seemed about to say something, but quickly spun round to face into her bedroom. For a minute or so another voice floated down, in a lilting accent Lance could not quite place. When Kitty turned back to him again she was speaking even lower, and he had to strain his ears to make out her words. "I can't talk now Lance. The walls are very thin. But I would like to talk to you again, another time. Tomorrow afternoon perhaps? By the same bit of road we met at today?"

Taking warning from her whispers, Lance replied "Yes, I would like that too. I'll see you tomorrow. And Kitty?" She had moved to start closing her window, but closed when she caught his voice again on the wind. "Have sweet dreams."

"You too." She replied. "Take care. I will do all I can to make sure I meet you." With that she closed her window and curtains across.

Lance turned and began to walk back the way he had come. Kitty's fearlessness had intrigued him even more. The thought of meeting her tomorrow was making him a lot happier with his lot than he had been in quite a while. All he had to do now was explain away his absence to his companions.

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Kitty walked back to her bed and lay down beneath the blanket, but all the cobwebs had been banished from her head by the conversation. The fact that he hadn't tried to explain away his involvement with the bandits had made her believe him more than she would have if he had denied it or made up some flimsy excuse.

"He promised me," she thought. "Does that mean my opinion is worth something to him?" She was surprised to find herself hoping it did.

Gradually the wakefulness wore off and she began to dose. Just before she drifted into a deep sleep she thought "I need to be more careful, that was a close thing with Rahne".

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Rahne woke to hear a voice coming through the wall. After a few moments she placed it as Kitty's, and after a few more placed herself in a room in a mansion in America. Pushing the stab of homesickness this realisation brought out of her mind, Rahne tried to work out who Kitty could be speaking to. "I hope she isn't talking in her sleep, with a nightmare" Rahne thought. She had had her fair share of bad dreams recently, and she hoped her cousin wasn't falling prey to the same thing. "I'll just go look in on her quickly, and check that she's alright" Rahne decided.

Slipping on the dressing gown and slippers Jean had presented her with that evening; Rahne padded out of her room and slid the door of the room next to her's open. It creaked and Rahne winced, hoping Kitty wouldn't be woken by the noise. As she pushed her head through the gap she had created, Rahne saw her worries were unfounded as Kitty wasn't even in bed, but standing by the open window. She had obviously spun around at the noise and was looking quite guilty in Rahne's opinion.

"Are you fine, Kitty" Rahne ventured. "I thought I heard you talking."

"Oh, yes Rahne, I'm fine," Kitty said, looking very distracted, "I just couldn't sleep, and sometimes fresh air helps me… em … relax." She said the last word a little hopefully, like she wasn't sure it was going to do.

Rahne let it slip past. "I just wanted to check you weren't having a nightmare. I know some people talk in their sleep, and I thought I might as well check."

Kitty looked relieved at this. "No, no nightmares here. Just me, talking to myself. I do that sometimes, it used to annoy Jean so much." She smiled at the memory. "I would do it just to see her reaction. I can't have been any older than five." Seeming to remember where she was, Kitty snapped back into the previous conversation. "Well, goodnight Rahne, I think I'll be able to sleep now. Don't worry about me."

"If you say so," Rahne said to her cousin. "If you do want to talk to me just come and see me, I don't mind being woken up. Sleep well Kitty."

Then she backed out of the room, closed the door and put her ear against the key hole. When she heard Kitty's voice again, she was certain she was talking to someone other than herself. Especially at the mention of the name Lance.

Quietly she went to her own room and peered out of a gap in her curtains just in time to see a tall, well built man turn and saunter across the lawn. "Because that is definitely yourself Kitty," she murmured to herself.

Dazed, she climbed back into bed and stared at the ceiling. "I need to tell someone," she thought. "Someone who can help me get all the information out of Kitty." Her first thought was Jean, but she quickly dismissed that idea. She liked Jean, but somehow doubted she would be eager to find out and share details of who Kitty had been speaking too.

Lying in bed she went through all the people she had met. None she knew well enough to request aid. All except one. "Why didn't I think of her before?" Rahne thought as a mental image of her third cousin jumped across her mind. "I'm sure Tabby would be glad to help me."

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**AN-** Ta Da! Once again thanks goes to **Ruthie G 8.** Please review guys!


	5. Chapter 5

**AN-** I feel I owe all of you an apology. It has been an obscenely long time since I've updated and I'm actually quite ashamed. I hope you can all forgive me and all enjoy this chapter. Also, a huge thanks to the people who have reviewed and are still enjoying this fic. A special apology goes out to you guys.

**Disclaimer –**I don't own X-Men: Evolution. Although Ruth now owns a Colossus bobble head.

...

Kitty awoke to the blinding glare of the sun as it streamed through her open curtains. She rolled over groaning and considered drifting back into a peaceful slumber. Unfortunately for her, however, Jean had other ideas. Striding into the room, the redhead shot an amused glance at her younger sister, before starting to rifle through her wardrobe.

"What you doing?" Mumbled Kitty, her words muffled by the pillow that covered her face.

"It seems, my dear little sister, that you have forgotten about our trip into town this morning and that simply will not do." Jean straightened up and laid Kitty's clothes on the end of her bed. "Get up and get dressed. I am going to go see if Rahne needs any assistance."

"Good, leave me 'lone."

Jean raised an eyebrow at this. It was no secret that Kitty was not a morning person. More often than not, the residents of the mansion had to put up with her tired grunts and monosyllabic responses until at least ten o'clock. Usually Jean found it quite amusing. This morning, however, she was concerned. The young brunette looked extremely tired, more so than usual. She looked as if she hadn't slept for very long if the bags under her eyes were anything to judge by.

"Kitty." Started Jean slowly. "What time did you fall asleep last night?"

She received an unintelligible moan in response. Jean sat down on the edge of Kitty's bed and was about to pester her younger sibling for answers when a deafening clanging sound echoed through the mansion. Kitty shot up and exchanged a confused glance with Jean.

"What on earth?"

The pair made their way down the hallway towards the source of the noise. They stopped outside Rahne's bedroom door where they could hear a stream of choice swear words through the solid oak. The two sisters burst into the room and absorbed the scene in shock.

Tabby was standing by the doorway, her eyes locked in a staring match with her younger cousin. Rahne was backed up against the wall in her wolf form, her small body quivering in tension.

"What happened?" Exclaimed Kitty in horror.

"I'm not entirely sure." Confessed Tabby. "I used my powers to play a prank on Rahne and she just lost control."

Jean shot a glare at her cousin, one that clearly stated that she would deal with the blonde later, and turned her attention to the russet wolf. Murmuring soft reassurances, the redhead edged closer to the young Scottish werewolf and received a slight warning growl in return.

"Jean." Kitty whispered warningly, clearly worried for her older sibling. "Be careful."

"It's no use." The telepath muttered in frustration. "I shall have to try and reach her mentally."

As Jean dove into her youngest cousin's mind, she was suddenly struck by how clearly the wolf saw the world. Everything was so much simpler; Jean could see how tempting it was for the young Scot just to stay in her animal form forever. Shaking off the distracting thoughts, Jean focused her attention on trying to communicate with Rahne's wolf personality. It was very similar to the girl's human nature but was ruled by instinct and impulse, opposed to calm reasoning and thought out decisions. The wolf snarled at the sudden invasion but the telepath sent out soothing waves and before they knew it, Rahne was kneeling, in human form, on the floor. Tabby was the first one to reach her.

"Rahney! Are you alright? I am so sorry!"

Rahne giggled slightly at the blonde's hysterical apologies.

"I am fine." She assured her cousin. "You just gave me a bit of a fright that's all."

"We're just glad to see that you are not hurt," smiled Kitty as she scampered over to her two cousins, "what on earth happened?"

Tabby glanced sheepishly at Rahne and the short redhead shot her a timid grin.

"I placed a few of my explosive energy spheres in Rahney's wardrobe," muttered the blonde, "they went off when she opened the doors."

"Tabitha!"

Tabby hung her head in shame and waited for Jean's lecture to begin. The older girl narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth but before she could deliver her harsh words, Rahne quickly jumped in.

"Please don't be mad at Tabby," she pleaded, "It wasn't meant to cause any harm. It was just a joke."

"You could have been seriously hurt!"

"But I wasn't," argued the young Scot, "it was my own fault for over-reacting."

Kitty sighed and quickly decided to end the debate. She placed a hand on Jean's arm in an effort to calm the telepath down.

"Jean, I will admit that it was an incredibly irresponsible act on Tabby's part, but no-one was hurt and at least Rahne now knows what Tabby's power is. Can't you just let this one slide?"

Jean studied the three earnest faces surrounding her and sighed.

"Alright. I am willing to overlook your blatant misuse of powers, but just this once. Now, we are due in town shortly and you are all still in your night clothes. I suggest you hurry up and change."

And with that, she flicked her long red hair over her shoulder and strode out of the room. Kitty turned to her blonde cousin and swiftly slapped her on the back of her head, causing Rahne to giggle. Tabby yelped in surprise and shot a glare at the brunette.

"I'm not entirely sure what was going through your mind when you decided to pull that foolish stunt, but thank you," she quickly smothered Tabby in a grateful hug, "you saved me from a Jean interrogation."

Rahne and Tabby watch in a mixture of confusion and amusement as Kitty followed her sister out the door.

"Why was Kitty about to be subjected to a Jean interrogation?" mused Tabby, placing a slim finger on her chin.

Rahne shrugged uneasily. She had the feeling that it had something to with Kitty's mysterious night time visitor but before she could share her thoughts, Tabby had shot her a wink and left. The young Scot sighed. She hadn't even been living with her cousins for a day and already she was involved in their secrets.

"How do I get myself into these situations?" she asked herself wearily, before shaking her head and pulling out her clothes for the day. "And here I thought life would be somewhat simpler now. Rahney girl, you are a magnet for trouble."

...

Upon the small party's arrival in town, the four young women were immediately ambushed by two girls known to the rest of the inhabitants as the 'Gossipers.' Amara Aquilla and Jubilation Lee were childhood friends of Jean and could both talk the hind legs off a donkey. Kitty could stand their company for short periods of time but as soon as they started to discuss suitors, she swiftly took her leave. There was something about the way they took their few years of seniority and exaggerated it to the point where they seemed to think that every word that spilled from their carefully made-up mouths was a nugget of pure wisdom. It both annoyed and amused the petite brunette. Secretly, she knew that Jean only tolerated them for nostalgia's sake.

"Jeannie!"

Tabby cringed and shot a slightly scared look at Kitty. Kitty fought to keep the smirk off of her face as she tried to ignore her cousin, instead focusing her attention on her older sister's attempts to battle off the two enthusiastic gossipers. After the overly dramatic greetings had been exchanged, Amara leaned towards Jean and spoke in a conspiring manner.

"So Jeannie, I heard that your younger cousin came to live with you. Do we get to meet her?"

Rahne took that most unfortunate moment to step out of their carriage and join the small gathering. Amara and Jubilee simultaneously squealed and shuffled over to the tiny red head.

"Oooh! Isn't she cute!"

Rahne, to her credit, lasted a whole ten seconds before sending a pleading glance in her cousins' direction. It was not her family, however, that responded to her desperate appeal for help. The rescue arrived in the form of the Wagner siblings, who had spotted the wolf girl's plight and decided that no being should ever be forced to endure the complete, undivided attention of the 'Gossipers.'

"Amara!" Kurt swiftly stepped in front of the Scottish girl and grasped Amara's hand. He bowed down slightly and smoothly kissed it in a way of greeting. "Liebling, your beauty seems to grow every time I lay eyes on you. Tell me, what is your secret?"

Amara giggled and blushed at Kurt's flattery.

"Oh Mr Wagner, you flirt. I cannot see why little Kitty did not snatch you up sooner."

Ignoring Kitty and Rogue's sniggering, Kurt just grinned charmingly.

"I feel I owe Katzchen a great deal of gratitude. If she had, as you put it, 'snatched me up' I would not be able to spend my time with beautiful young woman such as Miss Jubilee and yourself."

Jubilee and Amara giggled as the young German showered them in compliments. While the Gossipers were distracted, Rogue reached over and nudged Kitty.

"Hey, Kit! Quick! Let us go before they lose interest in Kurt!"

Kitty nodded eagerly and grabbed Tabby and Rahne's elbows, swiftly motioning for them to leave. Jean, who had found herself unwillingly pulled back into the conversation caught sight of the younger group's escape and tried to discreetly stop them from deserting her and Kurt. The three cousins and Rogue pretended not to notice and hurriedly edged away from the group. After creating quite a nice distance between themselves and the Gossipers, Rogue turned to grin at her companions.

"Well, that was a rather neatly executed escape. We should be proud."

"Indeed," chirped Kitty cheerfully, "a masterful getaway."

Despite the adrenaline pumping around her body, Rahne couldn't help but feel slightly guilty. They had just left poor Kurt to fend for himself against possibly the scariest people the young Scot had ever met. And although it was well known that Kurt was a bit of a daredevil, Rahne was of the opinion that he was currently dancing with certain death.

"Tabby," asked Rahne nervously, "will Kurt be alright? Those girls looked as if they were about to eat him."

The blonde just laughed.

"Don't worry fur-top, Blue can handle himself."

"But-"

"Seriously, Rahney. Kurt is the biggest flirt I have ever met and everyone in town knows it. Jubilee and Amara know he is only joking around but they enjoy compliments far too much to allow the opportunity to escape."

Tabby could not keep the slightly adoring tone out of her voice and Rahne's sensitive ears easily picked up on it. She smiled and shot her cousin a knowing glance.

"Does Kurt ever flirt with you Tabby?"

Kitty and Rogue turned to the pair just in time to hear the were-girl's comment and Rogue snorted in amusement.

"'Course he does, kiddo, and everyone knows Tabby flirts right back."

"Tabby is practically in love with our resident German," Kitty whispered to Rahne, "she will not admit it, however."

Tabby, whose face had turned a rather interesting shade of red, glared at Kitty.

"Be silent, cousin! I'm sure Rahney does not want to hear these rumours!"

Kitty held her hands up in a surrendering gesture.

"Alright, alright. I still think you should tell him how you feel but if you are happy living in denial, then that is fine."

Kitty glanced around the busy cobbled streets and then turned to grin mischievously at her companions.

"Shall we visit Ray's?"

Rahne stared at her cousin in confusion while Rogue and Tabby nodded eagerly.

"Ray's?" asked the young Scot curiously.

"Yes," confirmed Kitty, "It is a bar in the centre of town. The owner, Ray, is an old friend of Tabby's and allows us to visit whenever we want."

"I cannot imagine that Jean approves of that," commented Rahne sceptically.

Rogue burst out laughing.

"Jeannie doesn't know, kiddo. She would surely have a fit if she did and you three would be forbidden from leaving the house."

Rahne opened her mouth to protest once more but found that she was being left behind as her cousins and Rogue were already making their way through the crowd. The tiny red-head quickly scampered after the trio and easily caught up with Tabby. The blonde still looked slightly annoyed at the others earlier teasing and Rahne was almost too afraid to ask her the question that had been floating around her head.

"Tabby, why do you not tell Kurt how you feel?"

Tabby sighed and glanced at her younger cousin. Rahne was looking at her with wide and innocent eyes. If it had been anyone else asking that question, Tabby would have shoved an explosive energy sphere down their throat but she had a certain soft spot for Rahne, so it was with great reluctance that she answered her cousin.

"He is in love with a girl in town named Amanda Sefton and while I have done worse in the past, I refuse to come between them. I respect Blue far too much for that."

Rahne found herself unable to reply to Tabby's reason. She would admit that she had not been expecting something so noble from the blonde and was secretly quite impressed. Fortunately, she was saved from responding by the timely intervention of Kitty.

"Well this is it" exclaimed the brunette, gesturing to a small building on the opposite side of the town square. "Do hurry up."

The group scurried across the bustling area, taking great care to remain unnoticed as they scuttled into the small bar. As soon as they entered the room, a young man glanced up from the bar and grinned at the sight of the four women.

"Tabby! Where have you been girl? I haven't seen you in ages! And what's this I hear of a cousin?"

Tabby smiled back at the excited barkeeper.

"I've been busy Ray. We can't all hang around a bar all day."

She glanced back at the others and gave Rahne a quick shove forward.

"This is Rahney. Mine and Kitty's little cousin."

Rahne gave a shy wave and a timid smile.

"Ah, a shy one I see. Don't worry kid, Kitty here used to be the same. Never could talk to anyone. It was a good thing my girl Tabby intervened otherwise Kit would still be spending her afternoons in trees while talking to herself!"

Rahne giggled at the look of horror on Kitty's face and Ray grinned in triumph.

"Now, why don't you ladies take a seat and I'll bring you your usual."

The group thanked the young man and moved towards a booth near the back of the bar.

"Ray is not going to bring us alcohol is he?" asked Rahne somewhat nervously. It was one thing to visit a bar, it was another thing completely to drink alcohol at her young age.

Rogue laughed.

"Sorry kiddo, but it is still morning. Even Tabby doesn't drink at this time of day."

Rahne relaxed and let out a breath as she saw Ray approach with a large jug of orange juice and four glasses. She could handle orange juice. Kitty watched the young Scot with a great deal of amusement. She would freely admit that she had been slightly worried about the girl adjusting to life at the mansion, but it seemed she had been fretting needlessly. The little red-head had fit into their group as if she had been there her whole life. Kitty smiled into her drink, it seemed that everything would be alright. Now if only she could get that sparkling eyed bandit out of her head! Her thoughts were interrupted by Tabby's sharp elbow suddenly digging into her side.

"Look at that man over there! The only other person as nicely built is Kurt!"

Kitty followed her cousin's less than subtle pointing and found her eyes fixed on a young man in the doorway. The brunette frowned slightly and tried to shake off the sudden sense of familiarity that the stranger had brought with him. It wasn't until he had waltzed up to the bar and removed his hat that she recognised him. His brilliant white hair flashed in the light and his smirking face simply oozed arrogance.

"It is Speedy!" gasped Kitty in horror.

The other three girls stared at her in confusion.

"Kitty, do you know that man?" asked Tabby, "if so, why have you not introduced me?"

"No Tabby, you do not understand! That is one of the bandits that attacked that old man the other day!"

Kitty was starting to panic now. She could not shake off the feeling that something was about to go horribly, terribly wrong. Her suspicions were proven correct when Speedy drew a long, menacing knife from his boot and pointed it threateningly at Ray. Beside her Tabby growled with fury. Ray was a good friend and as far as she was concerned, waving a knife in his face was not a great way to make friends. Before she could tackle Speedy to the ground, however, Kitty had emerged from the booth and stalked up to the white-haired bandit.

"Excuse me sir," Kitty said politely when she had reached the confrontation, "but I believe we met the other day. Is there a problem here?"

Speedy spun around to leer at the obviously female voice but stopped in his tracks when he saw who it belonged to.

"You!"

Kitty nodded and smiled innocently.

"Yes, I thought you might recognise me. You see sir, around these parts it is generally frowned upon to attack innocent people and I believe the rest of this fine establishment's patrons are likely to agree with me."

With a quick glance around the room, Speedy realised that the other customers had been watching the exchange and had begun to stand up to support the young girl's words.

"Now while you are a bandit and a scoundrel, it is unlikely that you will be able to take all of us on. So sir, I suggest you leave."

Speedy scowled at the young brunette and muttered something about just wanting a drink before casting one more glance around the room and stalking towards the door. Kitty and Ray both let out a sigh of relief.

"Cheers Kit," grinned Ray thankfully, "I thought I was a goner there."

"No thanks necessary" smiled Kitty "just glad I could do something to help."

"That was either seriously brave or seriously foolish," commented Ray "but either way, I'm glad someone stood up to them. It has come to the point where these bandits are running riot. Someone has to do something."

"I agree," murmured Kitty thoughtfully.

Ray just nodded and started to wipe down the bar with a cloth, completely unaware that he had planted an idea in Kitty's mind that would change her and her family's lives forever.


End file.
